


Bullets and Hair Grips

by BadgerSigil



Category: Daredevil (TV), Jessica Jones (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hair Braiding, Malcolm honestly just rolls with it at this point, conversations about dead family, mention of ninjas, vaguely mentioned violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 15:12:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10879404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadgerSigil/pseuds/BadgerSigil
Summary: Jessica and Frank regularly team up, but her hair can be a problem in combat. Frank, as it turns out, has some unexpected suggestions.





	Bullets and Hair Grips

**Author's Note:**

> Technically set some time during 'An Understanding' but it's ok on its own honestly.

Thing is, Jessica just doesn't figure her hair really  _ can _ be a problem. She's stronger than anyone who could potentially grab it, what could go wrong?   
  
Oh  _ so _ much.   
  
And it had to be when she was working with Frank.   
  
It's not that Frank  _ exactly _ criticises her lack of efficiency, it's just, if one of her unorthodox quirks causes a problem he gives her this  _ look _ . He  _ does _ pointedly strategize around the fact that "you ain't bulletproof, Jones" and he has at least once flatly informed her that she isn't staying if she's going to drink "on the job" but he's blunt rather than patronising about it and she appreciates that.   
  
So when she ends up with a knife wielding maniac half dangling from a handful of her hair, she half expects him not to comment. Jess shrieks, Castle grunts from the other side of the warehouse and and kneecaps him, and Jess throws the knife in one direction and the guy maybe ten feet further than necessary.   
  
Ow.   
  
She stands up straight and massages her scalp. He's ripped some hair out, honestly it's a wonder he didn't take some skin off with it.   
  
Castle finishes securing everything and then waves her over to help him search a safe. She rips the door off without having to be asked. Castle squats down in front of it.   
"You gotta do something about that shit." He says, rooting through the contents of the safe.   
"That shit being..?"   
"Your hair. An' letting guys sneak up on you like that. But mostly the hair." He doesn't look up but he's still doing the face. Ok, so he's talky today. She'd be lying if she said she didn't prefer his talky days.   
"I guess it's pretty much off regulation." She smirks and leans on the door frame of the little security booth. He makes a hurumph of agreement. "What d'you suggest, G.I. Joe, you lookin' to get me to buzz it all off?" She says, and he chuckles.   
"Could braid it." He shrugs.   
"Ok Barbie, but it falls out."   
"You tried French braids?" She stares at him, suddenly convinced this is a joke, like he's suddenly become a master prankster and Matt Murdock is going to swing down from the ceiling behind her and grab her hair and start plaiting it and singing or whatever.   
  
Castle meanwhile is flipping through a notebook be found in the safe and copying down some names, oblivious that Jessica is looking at him like the Punisher just gave her hair styling advice. He pockets some of the cash once he's sure it's clean, and then stands without saying another word about it.   
  
*   
  
It's not until they are leaving the building via the roof that she can't hold off any longer.   
"You are  _ not _ saying you can French braid." Castle just grunts without looking back at her and moves along the roof as if it's no big deal.   
"You're kidding." She says and he just snorts.   
"It ain't hard." He says, sounding kind of exasperated by her reaction. "Bit like knots."   
"You are such a  _ Boy Scout _ ."   
"If I braid your damn hair will you quit callin' me stuff, I'm trying to work."   
  
Jessica doesn't say anything else, just heads back to her office with Castle in tow so he can read out the names and she can do what she can with the internet.   
  
By the time that's over, Castle's shoulders have sunk into a slouch and her eyes feel full of spiders. Jess immediately insists on takeout.   
"Yeah alright." Castle stands and stretches. "I'm buyin', you got the last one."   
"You stole some of my noodles you mean."   
"You offered."   
"Only 'cause you were doing that sad dog thing at me."   
"I don't do a sad dog thing." Castle says, unconcerned, and sprawls out on her couch.   
"You're literally doing it now." She says, and then the Chinese place picks up and she puts their order in, Castle reels his off from across the room.   
  
She sits cross legged on her desk to eat, Castle half melted into the couch cushions. She wonders if he eats properly when left to his own devices. By the look of the way he's shovelling noodles into his face, probably not. Not that she's amazing at that herself when Malcolm isn't nagging.   
"You actually ever eat anything but MREs?" Jess says and Frank barely stops eating long enough to speak.   
"No." He says shortly. "You actually ever eat  _ anything _ ?" And goes back to demolishing chopstick-fulls of greasy chicken like it's the best food he's ever eaten. Big bad Punisher indeed.   
  
"I wasn't kidding about the braiding." Castle says after he's emptied the entire carton.   
"If I say no, is there a chance you'll break into my apartment and buzz it off while I'm sleeping?"   
"Why you lookin' for a free haircut?" His mouth tugs up one side. "You got a hair tie?"   
"Hold on."   
  
Jessica takes a full five minutes to find a hair tie (where do they go?) but eventually digs one out from her sock drawer. She yanks a brush through it on the way back to her office, no way is she letting Castle brush her hair, the idea of him touching it already feels a bit like she's submitted willingly to being scalped.   
  
It's actually sort of awkward, kneeling in front of the couch and waiting for someone like Frank to do her hair like they're couple of kids at a sleepover. Trish used to braid her hair when they were kids, so afraid of her mother's reaction to anyone messing with her own hair that Jess had let her do it without complaint. Well, not much anyway. She hopes Trish, or more likely Malcolm, doesn't come busting in for some reason, and settles herself on the floor. He sits up and moves into better position. She can’t help but wonder for a moment what she's agreed to.   
  
But... ok, Frank's fingers are actually very gentle as they separate the hair with the same neat dexterity she's seen him employ with various weapons. The difference is, he doesn't seem to be hell bent on efficiency right now. Just steady and calm. Jess relaxes. Frank's guards are well and truly down and she trusts him enough not to think she needs her own, these days.   
"At boot camp I had this buddy." He says. Frank sounds more relaxed than she's ever heard. "Her hair was slippery, I mean, she tried but whatever she did to it it slipped out. Kept failing inspections just 'cause her hair wouldn't stick to regulation."   
"What'd she do?"   
"Well I mean everyone kept telling her to get rid, y'know and she woulda done it too, only it was red and thick and shiny and her ma used to do it for her before school, she was a just a kid, she was homesick."   
"What was her name?"   
"Jenny. Anyway homesick kid or not she was a damn force of nature and she was asking anyone she could if they could French Braid like her mom, and..."   
"You could?" Jess laughs incredulously.   
"Well yeah." He grins. "Ma taught me. Like I said, like knots. I guess she figured she'd bypass any of that hair-pulling shit boys get into by teaching me to do something with it, would have been just like her."   
"Maybe she just wanted someone to braid her hair for her." Jess grins and Frank snorts.   
"Could be. Anyway you would not believe the stick, bein' the amazing braiding marine." His fingers pause for a moment and he sighs. "Sorry, kinda rusty." He murmurs. He combs it all out with his hands and starts over. Jess can't say she minds particularly. He gets it over and done with quickly this time, weaving it down to the nape of her neck and beyond and tying it off.   
"Thereyago." He sits back and she goes to touch it. "Hey use a mirror you'll mess it up." He says and Jess laughs.   
"Isn't going to be much good keeping me from getting grabbed by ninjas if me just touching it messes with it." She says, but it feels a lot better than a ponytail or whatever actually, doesn't swing around. She manages to get a look at it in the window behind her desk. Frank smiles. "Lisa always touched it." He says, voice a soft little rumble. "Looked at me like I was a wizard first time I did it for her."  _ Oh. _ Jess doesn't know what to say. She sits on her desk and chews her lip for a moment.   
"Thanks." She says eventually.   
"Could teach you. If y'want." Frank says. He's calm, more so than she's ever seen. Usually just looks either twitchy or sort of constipated. Much like herself, actually. Probably one reason they get on so well.   
  
"Mom never taught me. I used to scream if she touched my hair." Jess says, feeling like it should go both ways or the link will fail somehow. "My brother used to pull it. Maybe mom should have taught  _ him _ , if she even knew how."   
"Coulda worked." Frank smiles and it's sad, so sad. She didn't know his face could do that, and she'd seen through his sarcastic grouchy front seconds after meeting him.   
"Younger brother?" He asks, weirdly gentle.   
"Yeah. Philip."   
"Philip." Frank echoes.   
"He was a little shit." Jess says, finding herself smiling. "Wish he was here to yank on my bunches, though."   
"Maybe he coulda convinced you to cut it all off, huh?" Frank grins a bit, drops his head. "Frankie, he used to pull Lisa's but, only when he was toddling, Maria didn't put up with that."   
"Sounds formidable."   
"She was." Frank chuckles. "Scared the shit out of me,    
"Maria didn't like my hair so short, but. Y'know. Had to. When I cut it meant I was shipping out, so maybe that's why.   
  
They both sit quietly for a long moment and Jess thinks if this is a moment of silence, they could probably use some alcohol.   
  
Frank shakes out of it first, jerks his head in that familiar way of his, like he's falling back into step with himself.   
"Hey its late." He says, voice gruff again.   
"It's early." Jess smiles and stands. She stretches and watches Frank get up, slow and heavy. He's older than she remembers sometimes. Not  _ old _ but, older than her, older than Matt and the others. Too old to be running on more caffeine than sleep and not feeling it.   
"Y'know you can just crash there if you want." She says. He stops.   
"You... sure?" He turns his head warily, taken aback and not hiding it well. He watches her from under his brow. "What if you get a client?" He says and Jess just snorts.   
"Most people call now, just wake me up if someone knocks. Worst that'll happen is you give Malcolm the fright of his life." She doesn't bother to stifle her yawn. "Hold on I'll grab you blankets and stuff."   
  
Frank has his boots off and neatly placed by the side of the couch by the time she gets back. He just gives her a gruff thanks, rolls over and tucks himself into sleep. Jess is pretty sure he's out before his head properly touches down on the pillow, efficient as always.   
  
It takes her a lot longer to sleep, head spinning with all the memories she usually avoids.   
  
The next morning there's a box of waffles and a coffee, still hot, sitting on her desk with a note that just says; "Thanks." Jessica sits. She's still sat, half way through the syrupy goodness when Malcolm comes in.   
"Where did that come from?" He says, frowning and tilting her head at her. She looks down at her breakfast and then back up to him before he realises he's looking at her head, not the waffles.   
"Oh." Her hands darts to lightly touch the braid, still in place. "The Punisher did it." She shrugs. Malcolm squints at her, laughs and shakes his head.   
"Ok." He says, like he just doesn't get her sense of humour, and goes to raid her cupboards for peanut butter.

**Author's Note:**

> Can I ever write Frank without letting him get sappy? The answer is no.
> 
> Missed writing Jess's PoV <3


End file.
